Anglers getting brief red snapper season in September

Federal fisheries officials on Monday announced the dates for a brief temporary season on red snapper in the South Atlantic between Florida and North Carolina.

The season, announced Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service, will take place Sept. 14-23.

"It's short, but we'll take whatever they let us have," said Capt. Paul Nelson, a lifelong Volusia County fisherman. "That's what we have to do anyway until they get a new stock assessment."

The federal agency approved a moratorium on catching red snapper in January 2010 because the fish was considered overfished according to federal rules. Fishermen have protested the closing, saying the ban has had untold impacts on the industry and arguing the science behind the agency's fish stock assessments is flawed.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council recommended the temporary season in July.

The season comes in response to research that showed the number of red snapper taken incidentally last year was lower than expected. Federal officials said the research also indicated the population will continue to improve.

"I'm glad to see this opening," Roy Crabtree, southeast regional administrator for the fisheries service, stated Monday. The closing was "a difficult decision for the South Atlantic Council to make, and certainly a sacrifice for the fishermen."

"I hope this is just the beginning of great red snapper fishing in the South Atlantic and I applaud the council's efforts," said Crabtree.

The recreational season will open for two consecutive Friday-Sunday weekends, Sept. 14-16 and Sept. 21-23. Fishermen will be allowed to keep one fish per person per day with no size limit. The total recreational catch limit is 9,399 fish.

A seven-day commercial season will open from Sept. 17-23. The daily trip limit will be 50 pounds, gutted weight with no size limit. The catch limit is 20,818 pounds.

The Fishery Management Council is working with officials in states along the coast to determine how information will be collected on fish caught during the season. At the July council meeting, fishermen said they would cooperate fully, confident the information gathered will support their cause.

"We'll announce more information at a later date about what we're going to ask fishermen to do," said Kim Amendola, a fisheries service spokeswoman.

Federal officials are working on a long-term plan to allow for some catches of red snapper as the population continues to grow. The agencies said data collected during annual openings for red snapper fishing will be used in the next population assessment, scheduled to begin in 2014.

The news regarding the season dates comes on the heels of an announcement last Friday that the black sea bass season would close six weeks earlier than last year. The Fisheries Service determined the annual recreational catch limit of 409,000 pounds has been reached. The closure spans an area between Cape Hatteras and Key West.

Nelson called that an "incredible blow" to the recreational fishermen in Florida, especially in light of a planned closure on vermillion snapper Nov. 1.